As a growing number of US states consider legalising casinos, the gaming industry is firing back against its critics. A study sponsored by the industry’s main trade group argues that the so-called ‘social costs’ of gaming expansion often cited by its foes are, in fact, difficult to quantify and often exaggerated.

Experts fear grave consequences for the gambling industry as a number of US states slash funding help for problem gamblers, even as they weigh proposals to legalise slot machines and Las Vegas-style casinos.

Economists are warning that expanded gambling proposals now under discussion in several US states will have to clear tough financial hurdles, as well as political and regulatory ones, if they are to prove viable to would-be investors.

Mohegan Sun has inked a lease for a potential gaming site that will give the giant Connecticut casino a foothold in neighboring Massachusetts, should the state authorize casino gambling. Mohegan’s decision to expand, in turn, stands out amid a time of gaming industry consolidation, as the tribe itself puts a hold on new construction at its flagship casino resort.

State governments across the US are falling short when it comes to fetching top dollar for casino licenses as they look to expanded gambling for extra revenue to fill empty coffers, according to a top expert on these sales.

Confirmation that Governor Ted Strickland has placed the planned rollout of VLT gaming at Ohio racetracks on hold also bodes ill for an upcoming vote on whether to legalise Las Vegas-style casinos in the state, industry experts believe.

While a growing number of Massachusetts' state leaders and lawmakers continue to advocate gambling expansion as a vehicle to reignite the state's ailing economy, legislative approval for any expanded measures currently remains out of reach, as a vote on the casino proposal has been delayed until early 2010.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick’s sweeping proposal to legalize resort casinos now appears headed for defeat, with a powerful state lawmaker lining up against it. The bill’s impending demise comes after months of debate that had drawn the interest of some of the casino industry’s top players.

Three Massachusetts casinos could generate between $1.2bn and $1.7bn in their first year of ‘stabilized operations,’ according to a newly released report on the potential gaming market in the New England state. The study, commissioned by Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration, has stirred speculation the Massachusetts governor may be preparing to make another casino proposal next year.

Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo’s long-awaited proposal to legalise expanded gambling in the New England state steals a page from Pennsylvania’s racino-heavy playbook, industry observers say.